Fiona
Bruce MP hosts visit from former Leading Canadian MP Joy Smith
Fiona Bruce MP hosted a visit to the UK from former
Canadian MP Joy Smith, to discuss ways in which the UK might learn from Canada to
address the issue of prostitution. Fiona hosted a number of meetings with MPs
from a variety of political parties to consider what steps can be taken,
learning from Canada’s example to help protect young women in the UK – often in
their early teens - from being abused by being drawn into a life on the streets
as prostitutes.
In 2014, under the leadership of then MP Joy Smith, Canadian
MPs took legislation through their Parliament making it an offence to pay for
sex, but wholly decriminalising the women involved as prostitutes. This
followed similar laws in Sweden and Norway about which Fiona Bruce has spoken
in Parliament. Northern Ireland and France have now followed suit.
Fiona
Bruce MP said
“Clear
evidence from Sweden and Norway, and now Canada, shows that tackling
prostitution as those countries have done, in a way which is compassionate
towards the women involved and which treats them not as criminals but as
victims and abused, has shown changing the law as they have done not only helps
reduce prostitution, but also in its wake, human trafficking.”
Fiona Bruce MP is a member of the All Party Parliamentary
Group on Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade which produce a report, ‘Shifting
the Burden’. This made clear that while the law does not have the capacity to
end prostitution, better laws can limit, as far as possible, the extent of
prostitution and the suffering associated with it, and any meaningful attempt
to do this should address the demand for paid for sex directly.
Fiona
Continued
“Although
it is early days in Canada, initial indications there are that where enforced
this new legislation is having a positive impact, as in Sweden and Norway where
such laws have been in place much longer, as I spoke about in Parliament some
time ago. In Canada now, they are seeing a reduction in the levels of both prostitution
and trafficking, and if the UK is not to fall behind international best
practice in this field, then reviewing our laws in this area should not be
delayed any longer.”
